CATER Mask
Decisions
December 30, 2020
U of I Mask Research Focuses on Mask Fit as Well
as Breathability
Virus Transmitted Over 20 Feet in Less than Five
Minutes
Wellness Fellows Builds Mask Lines in ISO 7
Cleanroom
Sonovia is Launching its Face Masks in the UK
Iris Ohyama Making 23 Million Masks per Month
JP Air Tech Produces 4.5 Million Square Meters
of F9 Media/Month
India Lax on Masks and Expecting
a Second Wave of the Virus
Universities Around the World are Coping with
the Virus
Monitoring Mask Wearing with “Mask Cams”
______________________________________________________________________________
U of I Mask Research Focuses on Mask Fit as Well
as Breathability
Research at the University of Illinois focuses
on designing masks with
tight
fit, low resistance, and high filtration
efficiency.
Mechanical science and engineering professor
Taher Saif, right,
and students Onur Aydin, left, and Bashar Emon
The research from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign suggests that a well-fitted
mask made of two layers of a breathable material
can be nearly as effective as a surgical mask at
blocking respiratory.
U of I mechanical engineering professor Taher
Saif. was the lead author in a paper published in
the journal “Extreme Mechanics Letters.”
Using a setup in the lab, Saif’s team tested 11
cloth materials, including both cotton and
polyester blends from T-shirts, bed sheets and
dishcloths. The researchers studied how well the
materials block respiratory droplets carrying
nanoparticles that are roughly the size of the
coronavirus, traveling at a similar speed to
droplets emitted when people cough, sneeze and
talk.
The team then compared the performance of the
household materials with surgical mask material.
Saif says all single-layered materials tested
blocked at least half of droplets released, and
with two layers, the efficiency increased to
more than 90% — comparable to the performance of
surgical masks.
“Then the question is: I have good breathable
material; Now how do I design a mask so that I
don’t create big open spaces? And that’s where
the creativity comes,” Saif says.
The most effective masks, he says, are made of a
breathable material and have a good fit around
the face, covering the mouth and nose. The fit
is important to make sure droplets don’t escape
out the sides of the mask.
Saif says his research on the effectiveness of
materials at blocking respiratory droplets —
which are large enough to fall to the ground
quickly — complements other studies on
the use of cloth materials for blocking the
transmission of aerosols, which are smaller and
can linger in the air.
Virus Transmitted Over 20 Feet in Less Than Five
Minutes
Dr. Lee Ju-hyung has largely avoided restaurants
in recent months, but on the few occasions he’s
dined out, he’s developed a strange, if
sensible, habit: whipping out a small anemometer
to check the airflow.
It’s a precaution he has been taking since a
June experiment when he and colleagues
re-created the conditions at a restaurant in
Jeonju, a city in the southwest of South Korea,
where diners contracted coronavirus from an
out-of-town visitor. Among them was a high
school student who was infected with the
coronavirus after five minutes of exposure from
more than 20 feet away.
The results of the study, for which Lee and
other epidemiologists enlisted the help of an
engineer who specializes in aerodynamics, were
published last week in the Journal of Korean
Medical Science. The conclusions raised
concerns that the widely accepted standard of 6
feet of social distance may not be far enough to
keep people safe.
The study — adding to a growing body of evidence
on airborne transmission of the virus —
highlighted how South Korea’s meticulous and
often invasive contact tracing regime has
enabled researchers to closely track how the
virus moves through populations.
“In this outbreak, the distances between
infector and infected persons were farther than
the generally accepted 2 meter [6.6 foot]
droplet transmission range,” the study’s authors
wrote. “The guidelines on quarantine and
epidemiological investigation must be updated to
reflect these factors for control and prevention
of COVID-19.”
KJ Seung, an infectious disease expert and chief
of strategy and policy for the nonprofit
Partners in Health’s Massachusetts COVID
response, said the study was a reminder of the
risk of indoor transmission as many nations
hunker down for the winter. The official
definition of a “close contact” — 15 minutes,
within 6 feet — isn’t foolproof.
Wellness Fellows Builds Mask Lines in ISO 7
Cleanroom
The Wellness Fellows is launching a range of
surgical masks made in Singapore's first ISO
Class 7 cleanroom environment designed for the
manufacturing of N95 and surgical masks.
Under the brand name, The Mask Fellows, these
masks are manufactured from five production
lines with a capacity to produce ten million
masks per month. The factory will open its
grounds for educational tours for a small fee so
everyone can experience and witness first-hand
how surgical masks are made.
"The Wellness Fellows is a group of individuals
from diverse backgrounds, who came together to
form a made-in-Singapore surgical mask factory,
as we believed no one should be deprived of a
mask. “We want to produce surgical masks to the
highest standards, and we spared no efforts to
build a cleanroom facility with IoT (Internet of
Things) like climate control and cleanroom
monitor," said Founder and CEO, Daniel Chui.
"It is important for us to have certifications
for ISO Class 7 cleanroom and for our masks to
be certified with international surgical masks
standards like ASTM F2100 and EN 14683 as it is
pertinent to associate The Mask Fellows with
quality and safety attributes that are
synonymous with a made-in-Singapore brand. These
accreditations and certifications have allowed
us to export to other countries," he continues.
"When we manufacture these masks in a cleanroom
environment where dusts, airborne microbes, and
aerosol particles are passed out using HEPA
filters, the end-products are high-hygiene face
masks which we want to offer in Singapore and
markets across the world. And we are honored to
have Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease
specialist, as our medical advisor."
Sonovia is Launching its Face Masks in the UK
In development for more than seven years, the
masks have been proven to be over 90% effective
against COVID-19, the company says. The patented
technology infuses Zinc Oxide nanoparticles into
the fabric and is designed to boost both the
masks' sustainability and their efficacy.
While it’s easy to see why during a healthcare
crisis, the environmental crisis takes a back
seat, recent figures suggest damage caused by
the volume unrecyclable masks being dumped
across the UK is an environmental emergency
waiting to happen, Sonovia says.
As the B2B distributor for Sonovia’s products in
the UK, GlobalNPD says it aims to make
"innovative frontier technologies" more
accessible and help the world adjust to the
post-COVID landscape.
Dr Jeevan Boyal, a director of GlobalNPD, said:
“We’re proud to launch Sonovia’s masks into the
UK market via GlobalNPD and hope that the
products help businesses and consumers alike in
adjusting to the new normal. We have seen the
numerous reports of environmental impact of
non-reusable masks, and if we continue ignoring
it for much longer the impact will go beyond
what can be repaired.
"Sonovia’s revolutionary technology took over
seven years to develop because we were not
willing to compromise on functionality or
sustainability whilst keeping in mind our
competitive price point and appeal to the B2B
audience. Ultimately our mission is to bring
frontier products led by superior technology to
global audiences, and our roll out in the UK is
the next piece of our puzzle.”
Iris Ohyama Making 23 Million Masks per Month
Iris Ohyama currently operates two factories in
China and one in Japan dedicated to making face
masks. The company also supplies its own
meltblown and spunbond nonwovens for part of
this output. The company currently sells 23
million masks per month in Japan.
In 2020, Iris Ohyama made the decision to start
making the N95 masks to allow it to serve the
medical market which was facing shortages in
Japan. New facilities dedicated to making these
masks will begin operation in fall 2021 which
will be able to make 10,000 masks per month.
Additionally, the company plans to enter the
sanitized wipes market with the construction of
a new plant. Iris Ohyama will be able to make
one million wet wipes per month beginning in
late 2021.
Iris Ohyama is a Japanese consumer plastic
manufacturer based in Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi
Prefecture. It is the leading storage
organization manufacturer in Japan. The company
designs and manufactures products aimed at the
furniture, housewares, garden accessories,
office products and pet supplies markets.
JP Air Tech Produces 4.5 Million Square Meters
of F9 Media/Month
JP Air Tech offers a wide range of air filter
media products (as roll goods & pleat-packs) for
high efficiency air filtration applications.
Due to the increasing demand for nanofiber-based
products in filtration & separation market, this
year it expanded
nanofiber production capacity.
With this expansion, the Danish company has
4,500,000 m2 monthly capacity to deliver F9
efficiency class nanofiber filter media with a
maximum production width of 2400 mm.
Also, this investment will allow the company to
diversify into new markets and segments
including liquid filtration, waterproof &
breathable textile, protective mask &
respirators, battery separator and medical
applications.
India Lax on Masks
and Expecting a Second Wave of the Virus
People are violating “with impunity”
the Covid-19 guidelines on wearing of face masks
at public places and are not adhering to social
distancing norms, the Supreme Court said last
week while castigating
the authorities for not ensuring strict
compliance of these measures to contain coronavirus.
The apex court questioned the authorities over
large gatherings including political and social
during the pandemic time
and said the Centre and states should give
suggestions so that appropriate directions can
be issued to implement these guidelines and also
for ensuring its compliance.
“You give suggestions on what is needed to be
done for implementation of these guidelines on
face masks and gatherings. People are violating
them with impunity. What should be done you tell
us. We will fill up the gaps,” a bench headed by
Justice Ashok Bhushan said.
In related news, the cap on the number of
domestic flights that Indian airlines are
permitted to operate was increased from 70 per
cent to 80 per cent of their pre-Covid levels,
said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The minister had said on November 11 that the
Indian airlines can operate up to 70 per cent of
their pre-COVID domestic passenger flights due
to the prevailing demand amid the coronavirus
situation.
Puri tweeted , “Domestic operations recommenced
with 30K passengers on 25 May & have now touched
a high of 2.52 lakhs on 30 Nov 2020. Ministry of
Civil Aviation is now allowing domestic carriers
to increase their operations from existing 70%
to 80% of pre-COVID approved capacity,” he
stated.
India detected 35,551 new cases of coronavirus
infection on Wednesday, taking its overall tally
to over 95.34 lakh. About 4.22 lakh infections
are currently active and 89,73,373 have
recovered so far. With 526 new deaths, the toll
mounted to 1,38,648. With Delhi numbers
declining, Kerala is now back as the topmost
contributor of cases.
A technical advisory committee advising the
Karnataka government on how to tackle the
Covid-19 pandemic has warned
that a second wave of the coronavirus may hit
the state in January and has suggested
measures like the imposition of night curfew
between December 26 to January 1 and a ban on
New Year celebrations to minimize the impact on
the state.
Universities Around
the World are Coping with the Virus
Most universities are only partially open due to
COVID. Here is the status in selected countries.
Canada
University students in Canada recently
learned their 2020-2021 collegiate sports season
had been cancelled. Canada’s Atlantic University
Sport organization’s executive director Phil
Currie addressed this cancellation, saying, “We
had hoped to be able to get to a place where we
could see some semblance of a regular season and
postseason take place for our winter sport
student-athletes. Unfortunately given the
current realities in many of our regions, and
evolving public health directives, this won’t be
possible.” However, the organization is hopeful
students may be allowed to play in the spring
should cases be low and a safety plan
successfully developed.
United States
Amid the second wave of the virus, the USA's
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has updated
guidance for
universities and colleges on how to create a
safer learning environment for students. Schools
are encouraged to maintain social distancing, as
well as follow testing protocols based upon the
nature of their community. Additionally, the CDC
encourages schools to use contact tracing to
minimize the spread of the virus throughout
institutions.
United Kingdom
The UK government has issued
guidance on how to safely reopen and operate
higher education institutions, including
the importance of ventilation in buildings, how
and when to wear face masks, how social
gatherings should take place, as well as
regulations for performing arts.
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, universities have been
instructed to move all orientation activities
online to minimize the amount of in-person
contact. Additionally, activities that take
place in person must be limited to small numbers
of people, with students and staff staying 1.5
meters apart at all times. Institutions are
making selections regarding opening procedures,
with some opting for a hybrid model. While the
Dutch aren’t currently offering financial
assistance to students who are unable to pay
rent due to the virus, landlords are encouraged
to work with students to find solutions.
China
The Chinese are focusing on keeping outbreaks
minimized with continued social distancing, as
well as protective measures. At the Chinese
University of Hong Kong, for example, students
are encouraged to stay home when able, maintain
social distancing on campus, and masks are
mandatory at all times, unless one is eating or
drinking. Staff have also been instructed to
adopt “flexible working hours and staggered
lunch breaks” as a means of keeping contact
minimal. Finally, the University's Committee on
Health Promotion and Protection (CHPP) has
“activated the Emergency Response Level (the
second highest level) which corresponds to a
situation where the risk of a novel virus
causing new and serious impact to human health
in Hong Kong is high and imminent.” This means
the committee will be keeping a close eye on the
rapidly evolving situation to adapt as
necessary.
India
As of November 12th, 2020, higher education
institutions in India have begun a cautious
approach to a partial reopening. Guided by the
University Grants Commission (UGC) laid out
plans, institutions will be participating in a
carefully planned phased reopening. University
World News explains, “A return to the normal
routine of education may not return in the near
future.” India currently still has a high level
of COVID-19 cases, which means bringing students
back to campus could be unsafe for students. In
August, India's National Herald reported that a
study in the journal JAMA Network Open
recommended testing students every 2-3 days to
keep infection numbers to a minimum.
Russia
As of November 16th, HSE University has moved
back to a fully online learning environment.
While campus remains open and accessible,
students are no longer attending classes live.
When a student does come to campus to access the
facilities, a mask must be worn at all times. In
an effort to help students stay connected, all
professors will host virtual office hours for at
least four hours a week. Exams will be held in
person or online, at the discretion of the
instructor.
However, this new mode of instruction has proved
less than ideal for some. In Russia’s remote
outposts, students struggle to gain reliable
internet access. In Siberia, student Alexei
Dudoladov has been forced on more than one
occasion to climb 26 feet into a birch tree
outside his village. He says “I get on Zoom to
speak to professors and prove that I am not
skipping class for no reason.” Dudoladov has
posted his struggles on the social media app
TikTok in an attempt to raise awareness to the
lack of resources students like himself are
facing outside of cities.
While COVID has certainly provided challenges to
students and universities, such as the ones
mentioned in this article, it has also led to
much innovation in hybrid and online learning,
Monitoring Mask
Wearing with “Mask Cams”
Here's a way to ensure that bus users are
wearing facial coverings before they catch a
ride: Install a mirror-cam that covers their
entire face with the coronavirus. That's exactly
the approach that one city in Turkey has taken
to remind bus riders to put on their masks.
As noted by a recent Euronews video,
"mask cams" were installed at bus stops around
the city of Trabzon in Turkey. At first glance,
it looks like the display is just showing
surveillance footage of the bus shelter.
However, through facial-recognition technology,
the mirror cameras are able to identify those
who aren't wearing a face mask at all, as well
as people who aren't wearing their masks
properly (like, say, those who don't make sure
the mask is completely covering their nose and
mouth). With the help of CCTV footage, the faces
of those who are caught on camera not taking the
proper precautions get a huge image of the virus
covering their face when they look into the
screen.
The idea behind the mask cams is to encourage
people in the town to be mindful of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic. Murat Zorluoğlu, mayor of
Trabzon, told Euronews that
the new approach is a proven way to promote
safety, raise awareness about safety measures
and prevent residents from having to pay a hefty
fine.
Turkey has implemented nationwide regulations
requiring all citizens to wear a face-covering
whenever they are outside of their homes, lest
they be privy to a fine of 900 Turkish lira—or
$115 in U.S. dollars. That means people are
expected to wear masks in public places,
including when they are outdoors traveling from
one location to the next.
Since the coronavirus first emerged in Turkey in
March, the country saw its highest daily number
of documented COVID-19 cases on Friday, with
some 32,736
new cases.
